21 May 2015

Ukraine's Christian Militias

In some ways what is most interesting here is the admission
that the militant wings of the Ukrainian Far-Right have participated in the
Chechen Wars and the low-grade guerilla conflicts that persist in the Caucasus.
It has long been posited the West has supported the Chechens in their fight
against Moscow and its puppet regime under Kadyrov. It wouldn't be the first
time the US has backed Islamists to serve a larger strategic goal.

This coupled with the fact that American-accented fighters
have been heard in Eastern Ukraine leads one to wonder how extensive US
involvement is in the conflict. There have been many reports but it's difficult
to tell for sure how accurate they are. Now that official channels are open it
will be easier to bring in others on a clandestine basis.

The tragedy to me is that there are many Christians in
Eastern Ukraine and they are caught up in this and being divided by it. These
tensions strain the antithesis and many Christians revert to worldly thinking.
I'll admit sometimes it's just to survive but feelings of historical anger and
revenge also play a part.

Putin is at fault but by no means is he the sole conspirator
or actor. The West is just as guilty in all of this and in many ways provoked
his actions, and our media refuses to contextualize the conflict. It's tragic
in every way, but the greatest tragedy is the civilians caught in the middle
and the many congregations that have been broken apart. War is the realm and
playground of Satan and it is a disgrace so many Christians champion it and
seek to glorify it.

The Scriptural ignorance of these Ukrainian Orthodox militiamen
is no different than the sentiments and attitudes of many Evangelicals I know that
if placed in that context, would most certainly be part of this violent rabble.
They think in the same worldly way and have the same type of Christianity that
accommodates sinful attitudes regarding power and violence.